If you are in the market for a new piece of property and never considered a small town, it might be worthwhile to explore your options. Owning property in a smaller community can have a lot of benefits that real estate in large city might not give you.

One big benefit can be the savings on the price of the home. In some cases, the asking price of a house in a smaller town will be quite a bit lower than in the big city. While this is not always true, it is worth looking at the market value of comparable homes in different communities.

Another factor can be the friendliness and neighborly attitude that is common in towns and smaller communities. With the people next door willing to keep an eye out for you and your children, you can feel safer raising your family in a small town than in the big city. Less traffic, smaller schools and shorter distances to get to the playground can leave you feeling more comfortable about your children’s safety.

Buying property in a small community that is steadily growing might mean that your home’s equity will grow too. An up and coming town will always help the value of a house. See if you can tell whether a specific community seems to be in decline or on the rise. This might take a little investigation!

So, you have decided a small town might be right for you. what’s next? You could drive through some communities and have a look around and get a sense of what you do or don’t like about them. There are a lot of different things you can look at, but here are just a few ideas.

As well as figuring out the distance from the highway and the big city, how about a police station? Is there a medical center nearby? See if you can find the fire department, the scools and playgrounds, and any recreational facilities.

If you are thinking that you might want to look for a home in a smaller community, the next step will be finding a real estate agent to help you. You might decide that the correct decision for your lifestyle is to live in a large metropolitan area. But if you do choose to move out into a less populated center, I hope you find it as peaceful and safe as I do.